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About

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering was established in 1891 and has grown over its 130-year history to become the second-largest department in the university, with over 1,000 students pursuing mechanical engineering degrees. A new degree program in Aerospace Engineering was started in 2022.

98 Graduate students

1,013 Undergraduates

$70K ME Average starting salary

NACE Summer 2023

Explore Graduate offerings

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers programs of study leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering. Graduate students will have the opportunity to work closely with internationally recognized faculty members on research at the leading edge of technology

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Explore our undergraduate programs

We are proud to offer the only undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering in the state of Kentucky! Mechanical engineers apply their expertise to the design, development and mass production of everything from rocket propulsion systems to appliances.

Learn more and explore all our undergraduate offerings!

Explore offerings

People

With over 30 full-time faculty members dedicated to teaching and research, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering supports research in numerous relevant fields. We advance aerospace research and often work with NASA on research methods for its future missions. Mechanical and aerospace engineering is a diverse discipline, and our robust faculty is engaged in every aspect of it.

View our People

31 Full-time faculty members

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Enhancement Fund

Support the Fund

Gifts to the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Enhancement Fund can supplement existing operating budgets or provide revenue that can be directed toward emerging needs and opportunities such as scholarships, faculty support, facility enhancement and unrestricted support for departments. This valuable support allows the college to be flexible and responsive and demonstrate the truth that there is power in numbers.

 

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing

The Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing pioneers new manufacturing standards that respect the planet’s resources.

Visit ISM

Institute of Research for Technological Development

Our Institute of Research for Technological Development (IR4TD) explores fire research, painting technology research, lean manufacturing systems and more.

Visit IR4TD

NASA Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and EPSCoR Programs

NASA Kentucky

In partnership with NASA’s National Space Grant College & Fellowship Program, the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium provides opportunities in aerospace-related research and education for Kentucky colleges, universities, community colleges, non-profits, and industry affiliates. More information available at NASA Kentucky Space Grant.

Contact NASA KY

Dr. Alexandre Martin, Director

Phone: 859-218-NASA (218-6272)
E-mail: nasa@uky.edu

Associate Director:
Jacob Owen   859-323-4542

Visit the NASA KY website

MAE Department News

2026 Pigman College of Engineering Faculty Awards

On April 30, the Pigman College of Engineering gathered at the Manchester Fountain Hall to honor its 2026 Faculty Awards recipients for their outstanding contributions to the college and beyond. Awards were given in the areas of research, service and education. This year, in addition to individual research awards, the college added a new award category to honor the work of a research team. The winners in each area are listed below.  

Learning to lead: Students gain real-world experience during space industry capstone trip

Over spring break, Pigman College of Engineering students enrolled in The Engineering Leadership Program took their classroom learning to new heights during a four-day trip to Cape Canaveral, Florida. The trip immersed students in the heart of the nation’s space industry, offering direct access to leaders in aerospace engineering and national security. Through panels, site visits and discussions with industry experts, students explored how leadership principles translate into critical, real-world environments.

Berry and Sanderson 2026-27 University Research Professors

On Friday, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved 17 University Research Professors for the 2026-27 academic year. Established by the Board of Trustees in 1976, the professorships program recognizes excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK.

As NASA’s Artemis II heads to the moon, UK helps power safe return

As Artemis II prepares to lift off — marking the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years — researchers at the University of Kentucky are celebrating a milestone years in the making and their role in helping bring astronauts home safely. An Orion capsule seated atop a 322-foot rocket will blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as 6:24 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 1. Its mission: carry four astronauts around the moon and back — sending humans the farthest they’ve ever been from Earth.

21 Pigman College of Engineering researchers among top 2% of world’s most-cited

The University of Kentucky is well-represented on a list of the most-cited researchers in the world. In a database compiled by Stanford University in a partnership with Elsevier, 125 current UK scientists and scholars appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across 22 disciplines. Of those 125 scientists and scholars, 21 are UK Pigman College of Engineering faculty. 

UK research team awarded $1.9 million NIH grant to combat biofilm

Martha Grady, Ph.D., a Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholar and an associate department chair in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is leading a multidisciplinary team to investigate how 3D-printed titanium can be engineered to resist harmful bacteria.